WA's unemployment rate rises

Western Australia's rising unemployment rate isn't surprising given the resources sector slowdown, the state treasurer says, but there are encouraging signs the economy is diversifying.

While the national jobless rate fell from 5.9 per cent to 5.8 per cent last month, WA's rose to 6.6 per cent, from 6.4 per cent.

WA treasurer Mike Nahan said the figures were not surprising given the resources sector was moving from the construction phase to production, exacerbated by continuing low commodity prices that were limiting the short-term potential for new projects.

But there were encouraging signs of the economy starting to diversify away from resources, he said.

The Liberal leader earlier this week reportedly responded dismissively to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's calls for innovation, saying the mining sector was "the one industry that can take on innovation, fund it and implement it".

"You've probably heard comments in the past few days saying the mining boom is over, so we're going to be the innovation society or whatever else - you know, that's a little bit shallow in thinking," Mr Barnett was quoted as saying.